


Look Before You Sleep

by pigeonking



Series: The Applejack and Rarity Chronicles [5]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-22 22:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11389293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigeonking/pseuds/pigeonking
Summary: This is my unofficial prose adaptation of the episode 'Look Before You Sleep' as originally written by Charlotte Fullerton. The Quest for the Apple-Diamond maybe where Rarity and Applejack hooked up romantically for the first time, but this was really where it all started for them and I couldn't resist adapting. Hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it...





	Look Before You Sleep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lxonardo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lxonardo/gifts).



Look Before You Sleep

Everypony was busy preparing for the thunderstorm that was scheduled to hit Ponyville that evening. Pegasi were positioning dark clouds so that they blotted out the sun while other ponies were clearing up debris and stray branches from the trees in order to lessen the damage that would be done when the storm hit.

Applejack groaned when she saw that one of her fellow ponies did not seem to be taking the task at hand very seriously at all.

That prissy pony Rarity was using her magic to create admittedly rather attractive topiary from the stray leaves and branches. It was beautiful, but not very practical!

 **“** Hmm. Hah! Perfect.” Rarity preened as she stood back to admire her handy work.

 **“** Just take the broken limbs down, Rarity.” Applejack scalded in disgust. “Don't y'all care         about nothin' other than prettifyin'?”

 **“** Somepony has to. You were making an absolute mess of the town square, Applejack.” Rarity retorted.

 **“** Yeah, well, the storm's gonna make an even bigger mess if we don't prune all these loose branches so they don't tumble down on anypony.” Applejack tried to explain as patiently as she could.

 **“** I simply cannot imagine why the Pegasus ponies would schedule a dreadful downpour this evening and ruin what could have been a glorious sunny day.” Rarity grumbled.

Applejack sighed. “Think more practical-like, will ya?” she said. “They accidentally skipped a scheduled sprinkle last week, so we need a doozy of a downpour to make up for it, is all.”

It was at that moment that the rain began pouring down and not just a mere trickle this was definitely a doozy of a downpour!

Rarity began to prance up and down in dismay. “Oh no! My wonderfully styled mane shall be ruined!” she cried.

 **“** Ya shoulda hurried up and finished the job already.” Applejack replied none too sympathetically, though she couldn’t deny that it would be a shame to see such a pretty mane ruined.

 **“** Oh! Ah! Oh! Ph! It's coming down too fast! Ah! Oh! Oh! Ah! Help me!” Rarity was on the verge of panicked hysteria.

Applejack looked about for somewhere that the unicorn could take shelter and spied a wooden bench with just enough room underneath to house a pony.

“Uh, there. Hunker down to yer heart's content whilst I finish things.”

 **“** Oh, no, no, no!” Rarity protested when she saw how wet and muddy under the bench was.

 **“** What now?” Applejack was fast losing her patience.

 **“** I prefer not to get my hooves muddy.” Rarity insisted.

 **“** Guh. There is just no pleasin' ya, is there? Everything's got to be just so.” Applejack couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

 **“** Well, and how does muddying my hooves serve any useful purpose?” Rarity argued. It was alright for Applejack. She was a working pony. Somehow she managed to look simply wonderful even under all that horrible mud.

 **“** Y'all wouldn't know useful if it came up and bit'cha.” Applejack countered.

Rarity couldn’t help, but laugh. “That doesn't even make any sense.”

 **“** Does so.” Applejack retorted.

 **“** Does not.”

 **“** Does so.”

 **“** Does not.”

 **“** Does so.”

 **“** Does not.”

 **“** Does so infinity. Hah.” Applejack hoped that’d be the end of it!

 **“** Does not infinity plus one. Heh. What say we go our separate ways before one of us says something she will regret?” Rarity didn’t want this to go too far… she actually liked Applejack despite everything.

 **“** I reckon y'all are gonna say something you'll regret first.” Applejack answered stubbornly.

 **“** On the contrary, I believe it shall most certainly be you who says something  _you_  will regret first.” Rarity snarked back, though in her head she thought: ‘this is getting ridiculous!’

 **“** I'm not sayin' anythin'.” Applejack assured her.

 **“** Nor am I.”

 **“** Y'all just be on yer way, then.”

 **“** After you!” Rarity insisted. Why was it so difficult to leave? Did she really want to?

Thunder cracked over their heads accompanied by several frightening forks of lightning!

Applejack and Rarity yelped in surprise. Suddenly neither pony wanted to leave the other in such a hurry.

 **“** Perhaps we should stick together for now and find some shelter.” Rarity suggested nervously.

 **“** Uh-huh, perhaps we should. And fast.” Applejack agreed.

 

Applejack took the liberty of inserting herself under the very bench that she had recommended to Rarity earlier. She wasn’t about to look a gift shelter in the mouth!

“Heh. Nice and dry under here, sorta.” She assured Rarity in an effort to convince the unicorn to join her.

 **“** Oh! Unacceptable.” Rarity turned up her nose in disgust.

 **“** Applejack! Rarity! Applejack! Rarity!” a familiar voice suddenly was calling to them from afar, barely audible over the rumble and patter of the storm and rain.

The two ponies looked about for the owner of the voice and saw their young unicorn friend, Twilight Sparkle standing outside her oak tree library home some distance away.

“Come inside girls, quick.” Twilight called to them, gesturing them over with a hoof and a flick of her mane.

Applejack and Rarity gratefully ran over to Twilight’s house. Rarity quickly ran passed Twilight and out of the rain, but AJ paused in the door way with a look of uncertainty.

“Whoa, nelly. Is inside a tree really the best place to be in a lightning storm?” she asked.

“It is if you have a magical lightning rod protecting your home like I do. Come on in!” Twilight assured her.

Applejack trotted inside and Twilight closed the door behind her.

“Hah! We are most grateful for your invitation.” Rarity told their host gratefully.

“Thank ya kindly for yer hospitality.” Applejack echoed the sentiment.

Rarity glared with disapproval at the mud that still caked the bottom of Applejack’s hooves.

“Uh, do be a polite house guest and go wash up please, won't you?” she said snootlily.

Applejack trotted back outside to do just that, grumbling as she went.

“If I gotta spend one more second with that fussbudget Rarity today, I can't be held responsible for what I'm gonna do.”

Meanwhile Twilight was brimming with excitement at having two house guests over.

“Some storm, huh? The Pegasus ponies sure have outdone themselves this time. I hope you and Applejack don't have any trouble getting home.” She said, secretly hoping that the two might stay a while and keep her company.

“It may indeed be a problem.” Rarity admitted, though she did not relish the prospect of having to spend any more time with the uncouth Applejack.

“Well, you're welcome to stay if need be. Spike is away in Canterlot on royal business. I'm home all alone tonight.” She paused as an idea struck her. “You and Applejack should totally sleep over! We'll have a slumber party! I've always wanted one of those.”

“Oh! Uh, goodness. Uh, I do believe I have another engagement scheduled for this evening that completely slipped my mind until just now.” Rarity laughed nervously. “Ah, silly me, I can't possibly stay here all night -- with Applejack.”

Twilight wasn’t listening. She had crossed to one of her numerous book shelves and taken down a hefty looking tome. With her magic she levitated over to where Rarity could see it.

“ _Slumber 101: All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties But Were Afraid to Ask._ ” Rarity read aloud.

“My own personal copy.” Twilight declared proudly. “It's a fantastic reference guide. You should see the table of contents. I've been waiting for a chance to use it, and today is the day! This is gonna be so great!” The young filly could barely contain her excitement.

“Yes, uh, great.” Rarity agreed with another fit of nervous laughter.

 

By the time Applejack had come back inside from washing her hooves the slumber party was already well under way and the young Earth pony was astonished to see Twilight and Rarity applying some kind of green gunk to each other’s faces.

“What in tarnation... Now wait just a goll-darn minute. Ya make me wash the mud off my hooves, but it's okay for y'all to have mud all over yer faces?” she exclaimed incredulously.

“Silly! This is called a mud  _mask_. It's to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion.” Rarity explained with practised patience.

“We're giving each other makeovers! Eee-hee! We have to do it, it says so in the book.” Twilight added with adorkable giddiness. She showed Applejack the book.

Applejack began to read. “ _Slumber 101: Everything You..._  Oh hey, heh, would'ja look at the time. I gotta skedaddle on home quick. I'm powerful late for, uh, fer somethin'. Uh, g'night.” She turned to leave, but a terrifyingly loud crash of lightning from outside gave her pause. “Or maybe I'll sit here for a spell.” She reconsidered.

“Hurray slumber party!” Twilight cheered.

Applejack reluctantly sat down on her haunches and allowed Rarity to apply some of the icky green gunk to her face. And then for some reason the silly filly went and place to slices of cucumber over her eyes.

“Blahch. What in the world is this for?” Applejack protested.

Rarity sighed. “To reduce the puffiness around one's eyes, of course.”

             Applejack stuck out her tongue and licked the cucumbers off her eyes and into her   mouth.

“Puffiness-schmuffiness! That's good eatin'!” she declared through a mouthful of cucumber.

“Hee-hee! Isn't this exciting? We'll do everything by the book, and that will make my slumber party officially fun.” Twilight declared giddily.

“Did you hear that, Applejack? You certainly would not want to do anything that would ruin Twilight's very first slumber party,  _would you_?” Rarity said meaningfully.

“Of course not, 'n you wouldn't either, I reckon?” Applejack agreed.

“So do we have an agreement?” Rarity asked.

“You betcha.” Applejack spat into her hoof and held it out for Rarity to shake.

“Oh! Gross! You know, there's messy and there's just plain rude.” Rarity protested in disgust.

“You know, there's fussy, 'n there's just plain gettin' on my nerves.” Applejack retorted.

“Fortunately, I can get along with anypony, no matter how difficult  _she_  may be.” Rarity proclaimed haughtily.

“Oh yeah? Well, I'm the "get-alongin-est" pony you're ever gonna meet.” Applejack countered.

“That's not even a word.” Rarity observed.

Twilight Sparkle seemed oblivious to the tension that pervaded between her house guests.

“This is going to be the bestest slumber party ever! Yay!” she was congratulating herself.

“Yay.” Rarity and Applejack echoed a little less enthusiastically.

They returned to the makeovers, which included putting rollers into each other’s manes.

“So, how are you getting along over there, Applejack?” Rarity asked, putting an extra emphasis on the words ‘getting along’.

“Just fine, Rarity.” Applejack replied. She was not about to admit that she’d rather be doing anything, but this right now, though there was no denying that her face did feel cool and smoother for the mud pack and Rarity’s mane in rollers was sort of cute she supposed.

“This is so awesome!” Twilight giggled. “Makeovers, check.” She used her magic and the mud packs and rollers in manes disappeared. “Ooh, it says here we have to tell ghost stories. Who wants to go first?” she declared as she read from the book next to her.

Applejack raised her hoof into the air. “Me! I'd like to tell y'all the terrifying tale of the prissy ghost who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness. Oo-oo!” she waggled her front hooves in the air like a ghost. “I'm sure y'all are familiar with that one?”

“Never heard of it,” Rarity replied. “but I have a much better one. It's the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! Oo-oo!” she too imitated the gesticulations of a ghost whilst pulling a spooky face.

“That's not a real story. You made it up.” Applejack declared.

“It is a ghost story, they're  _all_  made up.” Rarity retorted snootily.

“I've got one!” Twilight announced. “This story is called  _The Legend of The Headless Horse_. It was a dark and stormy night, just like this one. And three ponies were having a slumber party, just like this one...” the young unicorn continued to tell her story. She was quite an accomplished storyteller and despite themselves Rarity and Applejack felt themselves getting sucked into the spooky atmosphere of the tale that Twilight was weaving.

“ ...and just when the last pony thought she was safe, there, standing right behind her, just inches away was --  _The Headless Horse!_ ” Twilight threw a blanket over her head and stood upon her hind hooves, waving her front hooves in the air menacingly as she recreated the pose of the evil Headless Horse.

Applejack and Rarity were so frightened that they grabbed for each other and held each other tightly, screaming loudly as if the ghost might really attack them at any second.

Twilight Sparkle threw off the sheet victoriously and checked off another page in the book with her quill. “Ghost story, check. Now, who wants s'mores?”

 

Once she had gotten over her fear of the ghost story Rarity quickly warmed to the idea of demonstrating to Twilight Sparkle the true are of making s’mores. She was neatly stacking each ingredient as if it were some delicate _haut cuisine_ that she was preparing. “Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate and be sure it's centred -- that's critical -- and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top. And done. Ta-da!” she stepped away from her marvellous culinary creation with a flourish.

“Ooo!” Twilight Sparkle marvelled in approval.

Applejack shook her head and trotted over to the exquisitely crafted sweet treat.

“Nah, ya just eat 'em.” And with that declaration she snapped up the s’more and gulped it down heartily. “Mmm-mmm!” she punctuated her enjoyment with a belch.

“You could at least say excuse me.” Rarity reprimanded her.

“Aw, I was just about to, but you interrupted me. Pardon.” Applejack couldn’t help smirking despite herself.

“S'mores, check. Now the next item of fun we have to do is Truth or Dare.” Twilight announced.

“I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change.” Rarity proclaimed.

“Oh yeah? Well I dare Rarity ta lighten up and stop obsessin' over every last little detail, for a change.” Applejack countered.

“I think the  _truth_  of the matter is that somepony could stand to pay a little more attention to details.” Rarity argued.

“And I think the  _truth_  is somepony oughta quit with her fussin' so the rest of us can get things done.” Applejack retorted, feeling her blood begin to boil.

“Um, I don't think this is how the game's supposed to work. You have to give an honest answer to any question or do whatever anypony dares you to do.” Twilight explained.

Applejack’s face lit up with mischief. “I dares you to step outside and let your precious, tidy mane get ruined again.”

Rarity gasped in protest. Anything but that!

“You have to. It's the rule.” Twilight told her apologetically.

Rarity looked at Applejack with a haughty ‘fine’ expression. She crossed to the front door and opened it before stepping out into the torrential downpour. The glamorous unicorn stood out there allowing her wonderful mane to become ruined before stepping back inside. She stomped over to Applejack with an angry pout, her flattened mane clinging to her like wet toilet paper. 

Applejack couldn’t help, but laugh, though there was a part of her that appreciated this new wet look on Rarity.

Rarity was fuming. “Okay. I dare Applejack to play dress-up in a frou-frou, glittery, lacy outfit.”

Applejack frowned, but gamely trotted off to carry out the dare. She returned a short while later wearing a cute pink and blue dress with frills and a bonnet.

“Happy?” Applejack snorted in embarrassment.

Rarity smirked. She had to admit that Applejack looked sort of adorable in the ridiculous get up. “Very.” She replied with a smile.

“Um, do I ever get a turn?” Twilight Sparkle wondered as she watched her two friends glare at each other. However, the two ponies were not paying any attention to her at all.

“I dare ya to enter the next rodeo when it comes to town.” Applejack declared.

“I dare you  _not_  to enter the next rodeo that comes to town.” Came Rarity’s counter reply.

“I dare ya to not comb your mane a hundred times before bed.” Applejack threw back at her.

“And I dare you to comb yours just  _once_.” Rarity returned.

Twilight decided that it was probably time to intervene. “I, uh, I think we should check off Truth or Dare and move on. Let's see what our next fun-fun-fun thing is, shall we?” she perused the next page in the book. “Hm, what does this mean? Pillow fight?”

Rarity rolled her eyes in disgust. “Oh, please. I am not at all interested in participating in something so crude.” No sooner had she said this than she was hit square in the face by a pillow flung by Applejack. Rarity narrowed her eyes and glared at the Earth pony. “Oh! It! Is! On!”

Applejack was already flinging more pillows using her lasso to launch them or stacking them in a pile and kicking them at Rarity with her back hooves as if she were apple-bucking back at the orchard. Rarity would catch the pillows before they reached her using her levitation magic. Then she would arrange the pillows in an attack formation before launching them magically back at Applejack.

In this manner the pillows whizzed back and forth with poor Twilight Sparkle caught in no-pony’s-land in the middle.

“Oh, I get it! Pillow, fight! Fun!” she declared at first as the battle raged around her. But then she was hit hard by a barrage of pillows from both sides and she went down in a crumpled and dazed heap. Wearily she raised her head up from the pile of pillows on top of her, eyes rolling in her sockets. “Ugh. Ah. Uh, girls? Maybe we should take it down a notch?” she suggested dizzily.

“I will if she will.” Applejack snarled as she pitched another pillow into the fray.

“She started it.” Rarity protested as she magically caught the pillow and launched it back where it had come from. The pillow hit Twilight Sparkle and left her spitting feathers. It was only then that Rarity and Applejack repented and decided to call an unspoken truce.

“Maybe we should just call it a night and get some sleep?” Twilight suggested. And so, once they had cleared up all the pillows the three ponies retired to bed.

Twilight slept in her own bed and she had set up a spare bed in which Rarity and Applejack were sharing, but even here, as Twilight slept, the two fillies couldn’t quite bring themselves to get along.

“Keep your muddy hooves on your side of the bed.” Rarity grumbled as she hugged the sheet around her.

“My hooves ain't muddy.” Applejack protested.

“They were. There might still be a little on them.” Rarity replied haughtily.

“There ain't. See?” Applejack thrust a hoof under Rarity’s nose so that she could see just how clean it was. This only made Rarity recoil in horror and scoot further over to the other side of the bed.

“Eww!”

By moving away, however, Rarity had pulled the covers away from Applejack.

“Now who's bein' inconsiderate?” Applejack complained.

“I have to make the bed again so the blanket will be right. Get up.” Rarity bossed her.

Applejack reluctantly got out of bed and stood to one side as Rarity fussed about making the covers all neat and tidy again. Once she was finished Applejack took this as a cue that she could probably get back in and was about to do so when…

“Ah ah ah! You'll ruin it. You have to do it like this.” Rarity proceeded to demonstrate by climbing onto the bed and somehow wiggling herself under the sheet without mussing it up, all the while making these ridiculous noises. “Mm, uh, ooh, u-u-u-uh, uh, ah.”

Applejack had never seen anything quite like it before and she rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Yeah, that's not gonna happen.” She muttered. “Geronimo!” Applejack jumped into the air and dive-bombed onto the bed in such a fashion that she bounced the sheet right off of Rarity so that it fell snugly about her own curled up body.

“Hey!” Rarity protested.

“Ah.” Applejack signed contentedly.

“You did that on purpose.” Rarity accused

Applejack didn’t even turn to look at her. “Um, yeah?”

Rarity clambered once more out of bed. “Get up so I can fix it again.” She ordered.

“Can't hear ya, I'm asleep.” Applejack replied and she proceeded to snore loudly and theatrically.

Rarity took a hold of the sheet in her mouth and tugged it off of Applejack. “M-mmm!”

“I ain't budgin'.” Applejack insisted stubbornly.

“You will if you want any blankets.” Rarity replied.

Applejack leapt off the bed and took hold of the other end of the sheet in her mouth. A tug of war over the sheet ensued.

“Give it back!” Applejack grunted through a mouthful of sheet.

“I will not!” countered Rarity.

“Yes, you will!”

“Won't!”

“Will!”

“Won't!”

“Will!”

“Won't!”

“Will!”

Each retort was punctuated by the sheet being tugged back and forth across the bed. They didn’t even realise that their fighting had woken Twilight Sparkle up!

“Enough!” Twilight shouted angrily and the two ponies guiltily dropped their end of the sheet. Twilight floated the book in front of them furiously. “It says right here that the number one thing you're supposed to do at a slumber party is have fun, and thanks to you two I can't check that off!”

“I've been tryin' my darndest to get along.” Applejack protested.

“No, it is I who have been trying  _my_  best.” Rarity insisted.

“No, it was me.” Applejack countered.

“No, it was I.”

“Me!”

 **“** I!”

Twilight Sparkle couldn’t take any more of this. “ _I_  hope you're happy, both of you. You've ruined my very first slumber party. The makeover, the s'mores, Truth or Dare, the pillow fight... I mean, is there anything else that could possibly go wrong?”

It was that moment that lightning chose to strike just outside the bedroom window, striking the branch of a tree and causing the stricken limb to come crashing into the bedroom.

“Sorry I asked.” Twilight yelped.

“Ya see? That's why we needed to take down all those loose branches in town, not spiffy 'em up.” Applejack snarled at Rarity.

“But I—“Rarity opened her mouth to protest.

Applejack was having none of it. “Outta my way, missy! Time's a-wastin'.” She began to try and hoist the huge and heavy branch back out of the window.

“Wait! Stop! Don't!” Rarity protested.

“No waitin'! No stoppin'! Doin'! And that, my friends, is what we call gettin' 'er done.” Applejack tried with all her might to move the cumbersome limb, but it just wouldn’t budge.

“I tried to tell you it would come crashing down in here.” Rarity scalded.

“Well, ya shoulda tried harder.” Applejack snapped back. She turned to Twilight with a weary sigh. “I'm mighty sorry, Twilight.”

“It's... Well, it's not okay.” Twilight erupted angrily. “There's a giant tree branch in the middle of my bedroom, and the book doesn't say anything about having a giant tree branch at your slumber party. Or at least I haven't found that entry yet. Ooh... ah!” she began to flick through the pages of the book.

In the meantime Rarity was trying to tidy up all the little pieces that were littering the floor.

“What in tarnation are y'all doin' over there?” Applejack asked in exasperation.

“Cleaning up this mess  _somepony_  made. Who was that again? Oh, right, that's  _you_.” Rarity replied.

“We gotta do somethin'!” Applejack protested.

Meanwhile Twilight Sparkle continued to flick through the book. “ _Baking_...  _BFFs_...  _Brothers_... There's nothing in here about  _branches_.”

“Rarity, for pony's sake, stop sweatin' the small stuff and help me get rid of this thing! I said hussle over here and help me!” despite Applejack’s entreaties Rarity continued to tidy the mess on the floor. “Look, I'm sorry, all right?”

Rarity actually paused in what she was doing. Did she just hear right? “What was that?”

Applejack couldn’t believe she was making her say it again. Oh well, it was time to swallow her pride. “I said I'm sorry! I shoulda listened to you when you noticed where this here branch would end up. Yer annoyin' attention to detail would'a saved us from this whole mess. But right now, ya need to stop bein' so dang fussy pickin' up all the little things and help me move the one big thing in here that actually matters! Please!”

“Uh. Uh, but I'll get all icky.” Rarity complained.

Was this pony for real? “Consarnit! What the... eh... you... I mean, yes, ickiness is often a side effect of hard work. But y'all need to get over it, on account I just can't fix this mess I made myself. I need your help.” Applejack pleaded in desperation.

“Oh. Let's do this.” And so the two ponies put their heads together to think of a plan.

As this went on Twilight Sparkle was still trying to find an answer in her book.

“Well, they do have a section about backyard slumber parties. Is that what we're doing right now? Does this count as camping?” she was seriously clutching at straws now.

Meanwhile, Rarity and Applejack put their plan into action. Rarity used her magic to employ her topiary spell from earlier that day transforming the main body of the offending foliage into smaller and more manageable topiary ponies. Once they were cleared Applejack positioned herself to kick the remainder of the branch out of the window. Off of Rarity’s disapproving look the Earth pony had second thoughts and instead hoisted the branch out with her teeth, As soon as the branch was gone Applejack pulled the window shut, but not before a gust of wind covered Rarity in a shower of mud, leaves and branches.

“U-ugh. Oh, I look awful.” Rarity lamented.

Applejack walked over and placed two cucumbers over Rarity’s eyes. “Better?”

Rarity smiled. “Hmph, thanks.” She reached out blindly with one hoof to embrace Applejack and AJ moved in closer so that the two of them could hug.

It was that moment that Twilight Sparkle chose to notice the topiary ponies that had sprung up around her. “Oh, pretty! Where did these come from?” she glanced at her book. “They're not in the book either.”

 

A short while later the ponies were back downstairs. Rarity and Applejack lay side by side complete with mud packs on their faces and rollers in their manes. They were laughing as they tried to think of questions to ask Twilight, sitting opposite them, as they played 20 Questions.

“Is it bigger than a barn?” Applejack wondered.

“Nope.” Twilight laughed.

“Is it smaller than a saddle?” Rarity this time.

“No! Only three of your twenty questions left!” Twilight warned them.

“We're never gonna guess what you're thinkin' of, it could be anythin'.” Applejack grumbled light heartedly.

“Are we getting warmer?” Rarity asked.

“Why? Is it too cold in here for you? I can turn up the heat.” Twilight misunderstood.

“She means are we gettin' any closer with our guesses?” Applejack explained.

“Oh! No. And that technically counted as a question, so only two more left!” Twilight replied with a smile.

Applejack cast her eyes around the room as if searching for the answer. “Is it... a six-legged pony with a purple polka-dotted mane and shootin' stars comin' out of his eyes?”

Rarity continued. “Who flies through the air all over the world to hide magic, sparkly eggs?”

“That's it!” Twilight declared excitedly.

“It is?” Rarity and Applejack looked at each other in astonishment.

“No.” Twilight chuckled. She pointed with her hoof over at her telescope. “It's that. But it was just so nice to see you two finally getting along, I wanted you to be able to win together.”

Applejack and Rarity laughed.

Twilight Sparkle could barely suppress a smile. She was so happy. “See? We could have been having fun like this all along.” She said.

“If only somepony hadn't been so persnickety.” Applejack snarked.

“Well, maybe she wouldn't have been if somepony else hadn't been so sloppy.” Rarity snapped back.

“Sorry for being such a pain in the patootie.” Applejack apologised, looking into Rarity’s eyes with solemn sincerity.

“Oh, no, I'm sure I was much worse.” Rarity insisted.

“That's kind of ya to say, but I'm the one who's sorry.” Applejack threw back.

“Oh, I'm much more sorry than you are.” Rarity proclaimed.

“Ugh. Are not.”

“Are too.”

“Are not!”

“Are too.”

“Are not.”

“Are too.” With this final word, Rarity wrinkled her nose mischievously and winked at Applejack. The two ponies dissolved into a fit of laughter.

“I declare my first slumber party a success!” Twilight announced triumphantly.

Applejack and Rarity cheered.

Twilight Sparkle ticked off one more item in her book. “Have fun, check.”

 

Applejack and Rarity were laughing as they played another game. Applejack was blindfolded and Rarity was attempting to guide her with her voice.

“Now take two steps to your left. Uh, no,  _my_  left.” She was saying.

Applejack faltered with uncertainty. “Whu, which is it?” as she stepped forward she went tumbling into a pile of books. “Whoa! That mess is your fault, not mine.” She giggled as she tugged off the blindfold.

Rarity laughed as she helped Applejack back onto her hooves. “Sorry.”

Over in the corner, as they played, Twilight Sparkle was taking a minute to write a letter to Princess Celestia.

 

_‘Dear Princess Celestia,_

_It's hard to believe that two ponies who seem to have so little in common could ever get along. But I found out that if you embrace each other's differences, you just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all.’_

 

Her letter written Twilight Sparkle returned her attention to her guests. “So, who's up for another slumber party tomorrow night?” she asked.

Her question was answered by two pillows thrown at her head. “Ugh. How about a week from Thursday? Oh, how about two weeks from Saturday? A month from now?”

Applejack and Rarity could only laugh. They had grown to like and respect each other a little more so maybe one day another slumber party wouldn’t be out of the question. Would it? Only time would tell.

**The End**


End file.
